What a tour de force!
Announced by Gerhard as probably, in his opinion, the best film ever, The General is a classic comedy, with the stone-faced Buster Keaton starring in a fanciful romance set during the American civil war. The main feature of this film is a ‘car-chase’ between two steam trains, involving audacious and hilarious stunts and improbable scenarios. These were accompanied by a continuous and relentless energetic flurry of percussive passages, sentimental incidents, patriotic blasts at the piano. Sometimes we had even lightning and thunder effects and, most entertaining of all, the ironic twists of pace and mood that perfectly matched the film’s comic language. Brilliant!
The SPACE was transformed into an old-style picture house, with the curtains parted to reveal the projection in crackling black and white, the pianist in front, and to stage right, with a lamp on his piano the only light in the room. Guillaume was the projectionist for this and did a careful and tidy job of house lighting and stop-starting (easier said than done!).
Gerhard Gruber, internationally renown silent movie pianist, played for a full 76 minutes emerging at the other end sweating, shaking and having enjoyed the movie again, wholeheartedly. Thanks to The Austrian Cultural Society and the Pune Music Society for accepting our invitation on behalf of the artist. It was unforgettable.
Announced by Gerhard as probably, in his opinion, the best film ever, The General is a classic comedy, with the stone-faced Buster Keaton starring in a fanciful romance set during the American civil war. The main feature of this film is a ‘car-chase’ between two steam trains, involving audacious and hilarious stunts and improbable scenarios. These were accompanied by a continuous and relentless energetic flurry of percussive passages, sentimental incidents, patriotic blasts at the piano. Sometimes we had even lightning and thunder effects and, most entertaining of all, the ironic twists of pace and mood that perfectly matched the film’s comic language. Brilliant!
The SPACE was transformed into an old-style picture house, with the curtains parted to reveal the projection in crackling black and white, the pianist in front, and to stage right, with a lamp on his piano the only light in the room. Guillaume was the projectionist for this and did a careful and tidy job of house lighting and stop-starting (easier said than done!).
Gerhard Gruber, internationally renown silent movie pianist, played for a full 76 minutes emerging at the other end sweating, shaking and having enjoyed the movie again, wholeheartedly. Thanks to The Austrian Cultural Society and the Pune Music Society for accepting our invitation on behalf of the artist. It was unforgettable.
Benedict Clark
Head of Aesthetics
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